Vince Flynn’s last book postponed indefinitely?

Vince FlynnIt was with great sadness that I heard author Vince Flynn had died at the age of 47, of prostate cancer, June 19th of this year.

He passed away in a St. Paul, Minnesota hospital, surrounded with over thirty family members and friends.

“Flynn was diagnosed with stage three metastatic prostate cancer in November 2010. The fatigue from his radiation treatments eventually made it difficult to focus on writing for more than an hour or two, and in October 2011, he reluctantly postponed publication for several months of his 13th book, “Kill Shot,” which followed Rapp’s adventures as he pursued those responsible for the bombing of a Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988.”

Flynn had written 14 books in all, with a 15th, “The Survivor,” slated to come out in hardback in November.

Perhaps like myself, many fans were expecting Flynn’s book to be published posthumously, as Tom Clancy’s last novel is now being released.

Author Tom Clancy passed away on October 2nd of this year.  His last novel, Command Authority, is available via Amazon and other stores, co-authored by one of my newest favorite spy writers, Mark Greaney, a major WordForce in and of himself.

But, now, there is a major fly in the ointment of Flynn’s final release.

From the StarTribune.com:

by Kristin Tillotson

Vince Flynn, the author of the best-selling Mitch Rapp political thrillers, was working on the 14th installment in the series, titled “The Survivor,” when he died of cancer in June. The book was to have been released in October.

His publisher, SImon & Schuster, has released a statement saying that the St. Paul native’s book is “postponed indefinitely” because it is “too soon to know” how much he had completed.

Ordinarily Vince’s editor, Emily Bestler, would have been in constant communication with him about the book, but during his last six months, Flynn’s health was the only priority, said Simon & Schuster spokesman David Brown: “We know Vince was working, we just don’t know yet what he was able to accomplish. It’s just a matter of waiting for an appropriate time to sit down with his family and discuss everything. Right now we’re still mourning the loss.”

The implication of the statement seems to be that if it is determined there is enough material to publish the book posthumously, another writer or editor may be called in to finish it. Otherwise, it will likely be cancelled.

The same holds true for a collaboration Flynn was working on with writer Brian Haig, the statement said, though that book is still available for pre-order.

Allow me to state the obvious, if I might.  Vince Flynn ate the lunch of many current spy and mystery authors today.

Daniel Silva is a current spy classic, as is Alex Berenson.  And you already know what I think of Mark Greaney.  Brad Thor provides interesting concepts but I find his writing somewhat clumsy.

With luck, “The Survivor” will be released.

BZ

 

Favorite mystery/suspense writers: not female

Hard Boiled Cool SlutAnd, oddly enough, few if any of them are female because I don’t relate to emotions or estrogen or confusion or second-guessing or mental bullshit.  I related to testosterone.

There is, however, one female writer that I do, off the bat, critically enjoy (and then re-joy), named Chelsea Cain.  But only because she writes about her female serial killer Gretchen Lowell.

The other “cozies” or “who-dunits” or other soft-core female mystery writers I cast aside because they haven’t walked the walk or talked the talk.  I couldn’t care less about romantic novels or female mysteries.

When I began to write and submitted a draft to an FBI IA many years ago, when I actually worked for the FBI, and she said “I don’t like the cuss words,” I knew I was on to two things: 1) she was correct, she didn’t like the cuss words.  And 2) she had no idea what occurred back behind her in the various squads.

I also knew she was reacting emotionally.  And not with reality.

I knew I was, then, on to something.

I decided to take advantage of that and, since, have submitted various manuscripts for publication that have netted me dollars in the 4 figures.  Although, yes, I have been published, I am still looking for something of a breakout.  And I’m finding that, yes, the major obstacle to my breakout is with female editors and agents and houses.

Because, make no mistake, females rule the publishing word of books and houses and agents and editors.

For another very salient reason: so few males tend to read or purchase books any more.

Because many males are more interested in killing each other, joining gangs, burying their noses into iPhones or iPads or other various and sundry media devices and games.

And I’m going to take advantage of that whilst I may.

To that I end I say: buy books written by males, because those writers are a dying breed.  So goes Elmore Leonard and so goes Robert B. Parker and so goes Vince Flynn.

Goodbye to Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett and James Cain and George Coxe and W.R. Burnett and Mickey Spillane.

I’ll be coming out with a book within a year or so; it will likely be self-published.  If for no other reason than I don’t write to please females or the inept or the emos.  I write for no other reason than to please me and what I would care to read.

If female editors and publishers and agents pick me up; so be it.  If they don’t, I’ll simply continue to self-publish.

I’ll know why: female writers sell to female readers.  Fewer male readers = fewer male writers.

A sad state of affairs.

BZ

 

 

Author Vince Flynn: dead at age 47

One of my very favorite authors, Vince Flynnn self-published his first book, “Term Limits,” in 1997 after 60 rejections, then had it picked up by Pocket Books where it was issued in hardback.  He had written 14 books in all, with a 15th, “The Survivor,” slated to come out in hardback in November.

Mr Flynn wrote mostly about his character Mitch Rapp, an under-cover CIA counter-terrorism agent.  Flynn was very accurate in his writings and had insight into the game plans of covert activities.  His writing was so accurate that DC became concerned.

On February 1, 2011, in his fan newsletter, Flynn announced that he was being treated for advanced Stage III prostate cancer.  He found himself able to write, recently, roughly an hour a day.

He passed away, today, in a St. Paul, Minnesota hospital, surrounded with over thirty family members and friends.

Today is a sad day.

BZ